Choosing Computer Curriculum
By: Kimberly McKay
Everyone knows that it is important for children to start learning computers at an early age and to keep those skills updated through their school career. These days, many schools are choosing to incorporate computer learning in with more standard topics.
Unfortunately, choosing curriculum for computer courses isn’t as easy as it might seem. There are many things to consider, and what’s right for your school may not be right for another. Let’s take a look at a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing computer curriculum.
Check Your Resources
The first thing you need to do is to check what resources are available at your school. You don’t want to invest in an expensive software training package just to find out that the software costs an extra $150,000, and that the computers at your school are too old to run it. Make sure you get hardware and software specifications for the machines at your school. You’ll also want to find out how many machines there are and decide whether students will be learning individually or in groups.
The other thing you should consider is a timeline. How long are you planning on spending teaching this course? Is it going to be a seminar over a few days or a period over a semester or a year? Make sure that you can use your school’s computer lab for the time periods you have planned.
The last thing you should consider is your financial resources. Does your school have the money to support you in this venture? Computer training material can be expensive, so make sure you have a reasonable budget in mind before you go shopping.
Do Some Elementary Planning
The volume of computer curriculum out there is enormous, so you should get an idea of what you’re looking for before you start shopping.
First, get a general idea of what you’re planning on teaching. Are you teaching your students computer basics or how to use a particular application?
It may also be helpful to make a list of topics that you think are essential. You’ll also want to think about what you need to properly teach these topics. If you’re just going to spend a few hours teaching how to research on the Internet, you can probably develop an exercise yourself in a few hours.
More complicated topics may require actual courseware, such as professional manuals that include lessons, practice exercises and tests. If you choose a more complex topic, you may want to think about which of these elements you need. Remember that writing curriculum can be difficult and time-consuming, especially when you’re not an expert at the program or area you plan to teach.
Do Some Research
Now that you have a general idea of what you’re looking for, it’s time to do some research into the products that are available.
Your first step should be to talk to a knowledgeable source, preferably someone who has recently taught a computer course. Find out what worked for them and what didn’t, and what resources they used. You may also want to take a look at computer manuals aimed at your students’ age group, even if they don’t address your specific topic, to see what tools they used.
If you’ve decided to purchase computer curriculum, make sure you check your school and local library before breaking out the expense account. Libraries often have great, free resources available for teaching children these skills. Some local libraries will even host classes for you.
If your libraries don’t work, and you decide to invest money into curriculum, make sure you get prices from several different computer training sellers. As well, you’ll want to see a sample of their curriculum to make sure it’s age-appropriate and has all the elements you need. You may even want to ask them if there are any special deals for schools and if you will be able to upgrade their curriculum in a few years.
Above all, remember that learning about computers is supposed to be fun. Have fun doing research, planning, and shopping, and above all, have fun with your new computer material.
Kimberly McKay is a writer for Velsoft.com, a company that provides training courseware materials.
